Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Other Health Discussion => Topic started by: Briony on January 13, 2016, 08:24:17 PM
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Had my estrogen and thyroid measured a few years ago after getting fluid retention, painful shoulder, tingling fingers, fatigue and dizziness; thyroid was normal and estrogen was low (41). FSH was normal.
With the help of BCP/HRT, symptoms gradually disappeared.
Gradually over the last few months, things have changed. I have started to get the tingling and aches I had a few years ago, and have developed constipation, cold intolerance (strikes at random moments), fatigue (again, can feel fine in the morning and then suddenly cant keep eyes open) and hair loss - despite still taking oestrogen. I have also gone from a life long size 10 to 12-14.
This has made me wonder whether my thyroid is to blame after all? Or are these returning symptoms due to needing more estrogen? (Currently on 100mcg patches). How do your thyroid symptoms differ from low estrogen symptoms? Is there an overlap? Does HRT affect your thyroid at all? Can you have an under-active thyroid but a normal reading (blood test)?
I dont want to bother my GP again until I am sure it's not just my usual strange estrogen issues. Any suggestions? My iron, B vits, vit D all normal.
Any advice much appreciated.
B
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I know that hrt and thyroid meds interact and its a very fine balancing as one thing sends the other off kilter. I believe that I've read you can get a normal reading but there be a thyroid problems nonetheless.
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Hi Briony
I too am taking 125 thyroxine along with HRT. The first indication my thyroid is low is always constipation. Things are stable at the moment but its worth getting bloods checked every 6 months.
Wx
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Definitely get it checked out again, Briony as the symptoms of hypothyroidism are sometimes so similar to menopause and often interlinked that it's often hard to diagnose.
It sounds time to have another test done as hypothyroidism creeps up on you.
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You say it's been a few YEARS since your levels were measured? My GP wanted me to get checked out at least every year after I saw her last year - she said my oestrogen and FSH levels were 'borderline', and thyroid 'on the low side of normal' so wanted to keep an eye on how things progressed, especially as my maternal grandmother and mother both had (have) under-active thryroids. My bloods will be done more often for a while after the end of this month as I'm having a Mirena fitted and the gynae wants to keep an eye on things for a while.
Go back to the GP and get those levels re-tested. We change - rapidly!
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Hi Briony I agree that all those symptoms - weight gain, feeling cold, fatigue, constipation - are all symptoms of hypothyroid and more so than menopause.
As Scampi and scriv said - thyroid function becomes less efficient with age and it seems women are particularly prone to the effects of this.
There are several aspects to hypothyroid conditions - although I know very little about it. Firstly the TSH reading at which it is considered treatable maybe differetn from that at which a woman experiences symptoms. The cut off point I think is TSH of 4.5 (hopefully someone who knows more will be along!) but say for example, you had a reading of 3.7 and had all the symptoms - then perhaps some treatment would be beneficial. I don't think you would get this on NHS though ( if your reading was below the cut off)??
Also most thyroid function tests ( the initial ones anyway as part of overall bloods) just test TSH but this is the hormone produced by the brain which tells thyroid gland to produce T4 which is then converted into active hormone T3 ( think I'm remembering this - soz haven't got time atm to look it up as working this pm!). If it's looked into further and you are referred to endocrinologist they then test for T4 and T3 (I think). However some people don't convert T4 to T3 very well so can have normal TSH and T4 but still be hypothyroid due to insuffucient T3 - the active hormone. This is not recognised on NHS as far as I understand from a friend of mine who is treated privately with the dessicated thyroid which contains T3. This whole condition is poorly understood, tested and treated, and has links with fibromyalgia syndrome. This friend of mine was diagnosed with this condition (fibro) but her symptoms are more or less controlled with thyroid hormone - but on NHS she would have been left both with hypothyroid symptoms and the fibromyalgia diagnosis and left untreated. There is a lot of info on this on thyroid UK and there is a forum too. I've just about told you all I know but hope it's helpful!
My onw TSH levels have increased by one whole unit in the last 9 years and each time I have a blood test they are going up - last test a year ago was 2.97. However doc says this would not be treated. I have complained about my morning fatigue, and I feel the cold and have found extreme difficulty in losing weight - so in my case it's probably only having a small effect - but I will keep an eye on it as I get older. The testosterone helped with the muscle pains and fatigue after exercise so the whole endocrine system is very complex.
From what I read oral HRT interacts with thyroid meds so if you start oral HRT and you are taking medication for hypothyroid this may need readjusting once you are settled on HRT - it says this on the leaflets as far as I remember.
In haste - apols for any typos/inaccuracies -gtg!
Hurdity x
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I used to work for a thyroid advice charity.
A full thyroid function test that is routine in Uk will test your TSH Free T4 and T4. The ones your Dr is looking at is the TSH and Free T4. Every lab has different reference ranges but in general 0.1 to 4.5 is considered normal. As everyone with a thyorid problem knows whats normal for one person might be abnormal for another person.
Without you having the test its impossible to know if your thyroid id causing any symptoms.
We used to advise people that if they were borderline under or over then to have a retest in 6 months. When you ring for results do not accept " your result is in the normal range" ask for specific numbers for TSH and free T4 and the reference range of your particular path lab. If you are close to either end then see Dr and ask to be retested in a few months.
I am happy to answer any other questions as they arise.
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I have to disagree with Hurdity about the T3 not being recognised on the NHS. I have been on T4/T3 combination therapy for many years and I see an NHS consultant endocrinologist and my T3 is prescribed on repeat according to his instructions. My levels are checked every 6 months, TSH, T4 and T3. A GP requesting a thyroid function test will only result in the TSH test, a consultant can request all 3. That's in my area anyway. Perhaps it is different in other areas but it shouldn't be.
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Most Gp's order standard thyroid function that tests tsh and free t 4 and they should always test the two to be able to read the results better, I haven't come across a GP that only orders tsh but that may just be my area. GP's can ask for T3 to be tested as well but often the lab will ignore the request at the first attempt and the Gp has to re request it ( this has been personal experience as well). Again this is in my health authority.
Only a consultant endocrinologist can initially prescribe T3 supplementation in my health authority as GP's are just not experienced enough. Everyone I know on T3 supplementation is overseen by a consultant endocrinologist. T3 supplementation can be dangerous if it is not closely monitered but it is also a lifeline for people who do not convert thyroxine to T3 or who are allergic to thyroxine medication.
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The only problem I have with T3 is that it is only prescribed in 20mcg tablets and I take 5mcg twice a day with 100mcg thyroxine, meaning I have to cut the tiny tablets into quarters. More often than not they crumble up, I get a lot of waste doing this. 5mcg tablets are available on special prescription but they are prohibitively expensive for the NHS, I resisted them although my GP offered them, as my conscience would not allow me to accept them.
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Wow - thanks all of you for such useful advice and information. It's really appreciated.
Apart from anything else, you've given me the kick up the bum I needed to contact my GP. Past experience with a previous GP has meant I am very reticent to see my doctor for fear of seeming like a time-waster/hypochondriac. Having read your posts, I called my GP (was unable to get an appointment out of working hours) and she has booked me in for blood tests next week. Her gut feeling was that my symptoms are due to estrogen issues (I'm one of the strange ones who gets the chills rather than flushes), but she is happy to test my thyroid too.
I am not sure which tests she has requested exactly, but I do know that my previous GP only tested TSH. I now recall at the time reading online that this can be misleading, but concluded it was simply more evidence that my GP just thought I was wasting his time (I had to take photos of my ankles to show that I had water retention before he'd take me seriously!).
One thing I am now a little concerned about is will the HRT I take affect the thyroid test results? I have been taking 100mcg patches and 100 mg of Utrogestan for 25 days for the past two months. I do not have a raised FSH, but have intermittently very low estrogen (40 pmol). I dont really understand the interplay between the two?
Thank you, once again, for all your replies. I've read them all thoroughly and really appreciate the fact you've taken time to respond.
B x
PS Hurdity, interesting what you say about your friend as I too was initially told it was Fibromyalgia and CFS, as have a number of my friends my age. It wasnt until we really pushed that we had any tests - she was so low on vitamin B12 that it did not even register and has had to have emergency treatment.
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I can't answer your question Briony as I have never taken HRT but good luck with the tests and I am sure someone else will reply to you soon.
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I can't answer your question Briony as I have never taken HRT but good luck with the tests and I am sure someone else will reply to you soon.
Thanks x :)
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Don't worry about your hrt. You need to see how your thyroid levels are with the hrt. Now, if you do get treated for thyroid and later go off hrt, then you'll definitely want to look at those thyroid levels again without the hrt and make adjustments as necessary. Since they will be treating "hrt Briony" that's the labs they need to use, not "hrt-free Briony". Make sense? Also, you mentioned you have normal FSH and low estrogen. I'm not sure if that indicates anything, but do be sure and remind your doctor of that when you go to discuss your thyroid labs. The FSH is a pituitary hormone as is the TSH. I'm not saying it's a problem, don't worry, but your doctor should take note of that when evaluating your labs to rule out a pituitary problem. I honestly can't remember at the moment how those hormones play together, but your doctor should know.
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As said you need to know your levels as you are now. If you stop or start any new drugs especially hormonal ones then you should have a retest after 2-3 months. If you are put on thyroxine then you must insist on being tested every 6 mnths and not the 1 -2 years that some GP's do, things can change massively even in 6 months.
I have never forgiven my mothers Gp who only tested her levels once every 2 years and she was on high dose thyroxine. She had terminal cancer which I now know means that her levels needed close monitering and she developed severe thyroid eye disease that he blamed on her cancer and it was only when she was admitted to the hospice that they knew exactly what was happening and she was severely over active due to massive overdosing on thyroxine. This was before I trained as an advisor for thyroid support. If only I had known then what I knew later.
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Thyroxine gives you the hormones needed to keep you alive but it does not give you all the hormones that a normal functioning thyroid would give. This is why some people swear by natural thyroid extract from pigs as they then get all the hormones BUT there are dangers to this extract in that it needs very closely monitering as every dose is different plus the risk of cross species infections. Before synthetic thyroxine was available this natural extract was all that was available but it was not ideal.
One thing we were taught was that because you are not getting every single missing hormone supplemented ( some of the missing hormones are in miniscules amounts almost untraceable) then you are not being "cured" of your hypothyroidism totally so most people have some remaining symptoms like weight problems or great difficulty in losing weight due to their metabolism being affected/ eyebrow loss at edges/very dry skin/voice problems etc.
We were shown pictures back in victorian times of people in lunatic asylums who were suffering from hypothyroidism and they were heartbreaking. Huge hairless women full of fluid with vacant eyes as untreated eventually this is how it manifests itself.
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What's the difference between underactive thyroid and autoimmune underactive thyroid?
My sister was diagnosed with underactive at age 55 and thyroxine has not made any difference to how she feels (although of course without it she might be even worse) my mum was diagnosed at a similar age also so I guess it's in the pipeline for me.
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I did feel very ill when my (severe) hypothyroidism was first diagnosed 23 years ago now and levothyroxine did indeed make a new woman out of me, but it does not take effect immediately.
I started on a low dose and worked up, finally settling on 100mcg a day and it did take quite a while before I felt 'normal'. It may have even be about 12 months. Since then however I have been quite stable with a few fluctuations over the years.
I also had an early menopause at around the same time as I was diagnosed and have been on some form of HRT ever since. I have never been aware of interaction between HRT and Levothyroxine, but I have always used patches and local applications rather than oral HRT.
I have a super GP and a 12 month check up with blood tests for Thyroid Function including TSH and T4, but my doctor is always ready to do another test if needed during the year and always listens to how I feel as well as looking at what the test results say.
So I am one who is very grateful for my Levothyroxine - and to my wonderful GP:)
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Agreed. I was just trying to give people a heads up that underactive thyroid conditions (especially if autoimmune) can often run alongside other autoimmune conditions so the picture can get very mixed up and cause disappointment when the little thyroxine pills don't make everything right.
When I was first diagnosed it was a time when a whole bunch of books were being written about underactive thyroid and the wonders of getting your TSH to a very low level after which you would feel wonderful.
A lot of nonsense if you ask me!
I have to say that I don't feel any different either and still have the loss of eyebrows/what feels like no metabolism and very dry skin. Without those little pills though in time we would all be very ill indeed!
I agree that some Drs tend to say take this tablet and all your symptoms will go but enlightened Dr's realise that that little pill cannot cure all your symptoms but they do protect your heart etc although most people with underactive thryoid even treated have slightly high cholesterol. IF you have a cholesterol test and its very high the first thing they do is test your thyroid as an undiagnosed underactive one will give you high cholesterol amongst many other things.
Most underactive thryoids are caused by your body attacking the gland in one way or another. I have forgotten the fine details of this but to be honest it does not mattter as the treatment is exactly the same. Everyone diagnosed with underactive gland is more at risk of having other auto immune diseases.
My poor cousin is type 1 diabetic/ underactive thryoid and also coeliac disease.
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The more I read, the less I understand (story of my life!).
Joking aside, I will definitely remind them that I have a dysfunctional pituitary gland (I think this was what my GP called it?) in case that makes a difference. I have also read that taking the BCP can lower TSH. Is that right or have I misunderstood? The reason I ask is that I have only recently stopped the pill and moved to high dose patches which suppress ovulation around Christmas time.
I've always felt that my symptoms weren't the 'normal' ones for low estrogen - I get random chills (can suddenly get goose bumps on a hot day) but never flushes, weird pain in my ankles and arms, followed by tingling fingers and fluid retention and sudden fatigue that has no relation to how much sleep I have had. Have had so many tests, yet only low estrogen found.
What were the symptoms that led you to have your thyroid tested? Did your hypothyroid present before or after you hit the menopause?
Thanks again for all your ideas and advice, B x
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Usually the symptoms of underactive thyroid come on very slowly and are often mistaken for lots of other conditions. If you are lucky its picked up in routine blood work when it is at the beginning of becoming underactive which means that the tablets seem to not have much effect but if it had been left to develop the symptoms would have become much much more severe. In somone with long standing hypo and alot of severe symptoms then they start them on low dose and work up over many months, these people seem to get the most noticeable benefit.
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Yes, like in my case Countrybumpkin :) I had let my symptoms develop, so when I finally went to the doctor they were quite severe and had been longstanding, which was why they started me on a low dose and worked up. As you say, the condition creeps up on you slowly and you don't recognise it yourself easily as a problem- one of the points when severely hypothyroid is that everything in the body slows down, including the brain. Because it creeps on you slowly too, even your nearest and dearest often miss seeing what is happening to you.
I was cold, putting on weight, had oedema that I could actually see and manipulate in my arm, a vacant expression, difficulty doing simple arithmetic which I was normally very good with and also had problems making appointments on the phone. I couldn't think straight or get proper sentences out and was oh so slow and so very tired..... I was falling asleep all over the place too and felt as if I were walking through sludge. I found it hard getting out of bed in the morning too and had to rest after walking the children to school. The crunch came when I woke up one night and felt so ill, felt that something was seriously wrong with me but I knew not where.... and took myself off to the surgery, dozing off on the bus on the way (I didn't feel safe driving). I didn't have any eyebrow or hair loss/receding problems though, other than my hair going quite wiry and its own way.
I remember my app with the doctor when she told me the TSH result with a trainee GP in the room and it was very very high - seemed to impress the trainee lol. But, as I have already said, I have been able to manage the condition very well with the support of my GP.
One benefit though was free prescriptions, so there was a silver lining after all :)
PS Re menopause - the hypothyroidism presented at around the same time or very shortly afterwards. My last period was in the May when I was 39 and by 9 months later when I was 40, I was then having what I now know were symptoms of hypothyroidism (after having had a brief spell of hyperthyroidism) and was diagnosed just before I was 41 and had moved areas and had a new doctor. Ironically, the reason I had avoided doctors was because they were wanting to put me on HRT because of the early menopause and I didn't want to go on it - so I stayed away!
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I was treated for constipation (severe), very dry skin, fatigue and menstrual problems for 2 years before I asked my GP to test my thyroid because my symptoms were a carbon copy of my mother's case which went undiagnosed until she was hospitalised. The doc did the test to 'rule it out'. He telephoned me at 7.30 one evening to tell me that my TSH, which should be under 5, was in fact at 52.
I had to start a low dose of thyroxine and increase very slowly and it took 18 months to get stabilised.
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Yes, babyjane, you remind me - other symptoms I had were constipation and very dry skin too. And depression...
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My only symptom was what seemed to be the return of breast milk about a year after my son weaned. It wasn't even bothersome, and I only mentioned it in passing to my gynecologist when having an annual check. He ordered a TSH and prolactin test. TSH was barely out of range. That was the beginning. I've since had a heap of other tests, and tried twice to taper off the thyroid under a doctor's supervision. My latest attempt sent my TSH very high and my T levels undetectable, but no troublesome symptoms. I'm a healthy weight, neither too thick nor too thin, and going on or off meds never affected my weight. I think similar to the menopause, we can make generalizations, but the thyroid affects each person differently.
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Scriv - hormonal upheaval is the prime time for thyroid dysfunction to appear., puberty/pregnancy and menopause. Men rarely get this party due to the tendency for it to be inherited down the female line and also because men do not have the hormonal upheaval women do in their lifetime. You were a textbook example of hypothyroidism, well done!
Lisab - it is so hard to know what is normal range for results in thyroid tests for anyone as one person is normal at one end and another is normal at other end of range. This is a bit of a contentious issue between patients and Drs as alot of Drs go purely on lab results and not on symptoms.
Being nosy here but why are you trying to come off thyroxine if you need it?
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Countrybumpkin, it's a long story. I sent you a pm.
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Hi Briony - I am reading with interest and like you I have wondered on and off for years whether my thyroid is underperforming or whether I have CFS. I get results that are just below the threshold and told all is well. Hurdity explained really well what my sister has explained to me - about the need to test the T3 (my nephew has a thyroid condition so she is educated) However, this isn't easy to get, so I didn't follow it up..........hmmm
I get a bit confused about it all, even if I read clear information :) I have had the tingling in feet, the cold, weight gain, hair loss, puffy face, really dry skin and hives. Still the GP says thyroid is OK. I think these symptoms can cross over into all the things you mention, the CFS, menopause etc Wishing you luck in getting to the bottom of things and to feel better x
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Yes, countrybumpkin. It is all very interesting, isn't it. I have become very well informed on my condition over the years. Mine actually made a brief appearance after the birth of my first child, had we but known it at the time, and it turned out that my late mother was also hypothyroid, so I really am conforming to text book lol. I just hope I don't pass it on to my own daughters as may well happen.
However, I have been very successful managing my condition over the years on Levothyroxine alone and also without ever having to be referred to a specialist, so am very lucky that I have had a relatively straightforward manifestation to deal with rather than having to worry about T3 etc.
And had 20 years of exemption from prescription charges :)
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Yes, countrybumpkin. It is all very interesting, isn't it. I have become very well informed on my condition over the years. Mine actually made a brief appearance after the birth of my first child, had we but known it at the time, and it turned out that my late mother was also hypothyroid, so I really am conforming to text book lol. I just hope I don't pass it on to my own daughters as may well happen.
However, I have been very successful managing my condition over the years on Levothyroxine alone and also without ever having to be referred to a specialist, so am very lucky that I have had a relatively straightforward manifestation to deal with rather than having to worry about T3 etc.
And had 20 years of exemption from prescription charges :)
Every single female in my family on my mothers side has had a thyroid condition both under and over active so we have some very dodgy genes!
I get my T3 tested every 5 years or so but it does take some doing and you have to have a sympathetic GP as well.
I was 27 when my thyroid went haywire so have had free presc for 27 years.
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I was 27 when my thyroid went haywire so have had free presc for 27 years.
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I guess there has to be a little perk for us somewhere, lol. I am over 60 now so get free prescriptions for being old, but it was at least a litttle treat especially with all the prescriptions for HRT.
Poor you having it all start at 27. My sister is hypothyroid as was my late mother, but there are no more relatives alive now for me to compare. I so hope my daughters escape it. I am always keeping an eye out for them.
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I believe my grandmother had it first, me next, and then my mother was diagnosed.
If you're hypothyroid ALL your prescriptions are free, not only your levothyroxine? Lucky ducks! The thyroid med is cheap enough, but I would love to get my hrt free.
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I believe my grandmother had it first, me next, and then my mother was diagnosed.
If you're hypothyroid ALL your prescriptions are free, not only your levothyroxine? Lucky ducks! The thyroid med is cheap enough, but I would love to get my hrt free.
I remember asking my GP why all the prescriptions were free and he laughed and said because needing thryoxine means that you are much more likely to develop other problems and complications which really cheered me up!
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I think there has been free prescriptions for all in Wales for years ????
And a bus pass at the age of 60 - and not until the new revised Pension Age
Answer - move to Wales???
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I've never understood the current system whereby ALL medications automatically come free just because you take thyroxine.
My GP advised me that it would be too complicated to work out what secondary problems were due to a poorly functioning thyroid and which were not.
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Interesting some of you mention pins and needles as I have had them in my feet for the last three evenings. Really irritating.
Common sense says it is probably just the usual hormonal fluctuations, but I seem to have so many of the symptoms listed that I am glad I had the blood test today. There seems to be a big cross over of thyroid and sex hormone symptoms?
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Countrybumpkin, which form of HRT, in your opinion, is least likely to react badly with Levothyroxine?
One of the reasons I opted for patches instead of oral form, is because I read that patches are less likely to interfere with the absorption and conversion of the thyroid meds (something to do with the fact that oral meds affect the liver) but patches not so much.
I think :-\
Thanks
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I have limited knowledge re hormones medication interaction but I do know that however you have it it does affect thyroid medication. The oral has the most impact as you know.
As long as you have regular blood tests then its not a problem. If you start any new hormone replacement then I would say get a test after 8 weeks and if any great change then test again after another 8-12 weeks until stable.
When I started natural progesterone cream my thyroid results kept altering for first year and I kept having to change my dosage but then they settled down. I would alter dose then retest after 8 weeks until I had two results that were very close together then went 3 months until i was back to my every 6 months test.
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that's really interesting. I have never chosen to take HRT but round the time I must have been perimenopausal, without realising it, my thyroid levels were up and down like a yo yo and difficult to stabilise. I was never on the same dose twice in a row. Since I have become post menopausal they are much more stable again. this would seem to indicate that my own fluctuating hormones could have been affecting my thyroid levels during this period of my life.
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Thanks country,
I think 'Im due to have my thyroid levels checked soon, so am going to make an appointment.
They only seem to want to check them once a year and even then I have to chase them up (phone them) :-\
When it comes to keeping on top of thyroid and menopause matters, I think we have to take matters into our own hands - to a certain extent.
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I am so grateful for my consultant who always gives me 2 blood forms at each appointment so if I don't feel right before my next check is due I can get them done early. He's a gem and these are for him :) :thankyou:
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Hereis the information I have quoted before about oral ve transdermal HRT and thyroid medication:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15142374
Interaction of estrogen therapy and thyroid hormone replacement in postmenopausal women
Abstract
Based on the use of estrogen therapy/hormone therapy (ET/HT) in postmenopausal women and the prevalence of hypothyroidism in this population, it is estimated that approximately 5% of all postmenopausal women receive treatment with both ET/HT and thyroid hormone replacement. Hormone therapy generally refers to the combined use of estrogens and progestins, the latter administered on a continuous or intermittent basis. HT is indicated for the treatment of postmenopausal women with intact uteri, whereas ET is used in women who have had hysterectomies. Because of its hepatic first-pass effect, oral estrogen therapy, the most commonly used modality of ET/HT, raises the circulating levels of thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG), thereby increasing the bound fraction and decreasing the free (bioactive) fraction of circulating thyroxine (T(4)). As a consequence, oral ET/HT may increase the T(4) dosage requirements of women being treated for primary hypothyroidism as well as alter the pituitary-thyroid axis in euthyroid women. This paper reviews the potential interaction between ET/HT and thyroid hormone replacement based on the prevalence of their concomitant use, mechanistic aspects of the interaction, and recent clinical studies of the effects of oral ET in euthyroid and hypothyroid women. Other agents known to interact with thyroid hormone replacement, including soy supplements, are also reviewed. Because transdermal ET does not affect TBG levels and would not be expected to alter thyroid function, it may be a preferable modality for postmenopausal women who require concomitant treatment with ET/HT and T(4).
I haven't come across any later studies.
This is what it says under the product info for oestrogen as part of HRT:
Oestrogens increase thyroid binding globulin (TBG), leading to increased circulating total thyroid hormone, as measured by protein-bound iodine (PBI), T4 levels (by column or by radio-immunoassay) or T3 levels (by radio-immunoassay). T3 resin uptake is decreased, reflecting the elevated TBG. Free T4 and free T3 concentrations are unaltered. Other binding proteins may be elevated in serum, i.e. corticoid binding globulin (CBG), sex-hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) leading to increased circulating corticosteroids and sex steroids, respectively. Free or biological active hormone concentrations are unchanged. Other plasma proteins may be increased (angiotensinogen/renin substrate, alpha-1-antitrypsin, ceruloplasmin).
https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/20976
http://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/7235/SPC
It gives the same info under transdermal and oral HRT so looks like a standard caveat.
Therefore on the basis of the study I would suggest transdermal HRT would be better - I have posted about this before.
If anyone who is expert on thyroid has any later studies please post the links!
Hurdity x
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As said you need to know your levels as you are now. If you stop or start any new drugs especially hormonal ones then you should have a retest after 2-3 months. If you are put on thyroxine then you must insist on being tested every 6 mnths and not the 1 -2 years that some GP's do, things can change massively even in 6 months.
I have never forgiven my mothers Gp who only tested her levels once every 2 years and she was on high dose thyroxine. She had terminal cancer which I now know means that her levels needed close monitering and she developed severe thyroid eye disease that he blamed on her cancer and it was only when she was admitted to the hospice that they knew exactly what was happening and she was severely over active due to massive overdosing on thyroxine. This was before I trained as an advisor for thyroid support. If only I had known then what I knew later.
What do you know about the way that thyroxine (levothyroxine) interacts with Tegretol? I have only just found out that there is an interaction despite taking thyroxine since i was a baby (congenital hypothyroidism) and Tegretol since I was about 15. I am not on HRT. In the past couple of years I have had tingling sensations in my hands and feet and tight/aching balls of feet/calves. I am trying to decide whether it could be thyroid /menopause related. No periods for nearly 2 years.
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Most drugs interact with thyroxine to some degree or other so we always advised that if you start a new drug then a few months later have a thyroid test even if its not 6 months since your last one. If you are staying on whatever drug you are on longterm then your thyroxine can be adjusted as necessary.
Obviously for short term drugs its not necessary to get your thryoid tested as any change will be very short lived.
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Most drugs interact with thyroxine to some degree or other so we always advised that if you start a new drug then a few months later have a thyroid test even if its not 6 months since your last one. If you are staying on whatever drug you are on longterm then your thyroxine can be adjusted as necessary.
Obviously for short term drugs its not necessary to get your thryoid tested as any change will be very short lived.
Thanks for that. I have just come back from the GP. He has basically rejected my theory and ticked me off for doing my own research which annoys me no end. I am however having another blood test to check the thyroxine levels in my blood.
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Just smile sweetly at him and insist!